Learning to peen a scythe

Today I’ve been teaching how to peen an Austrian scythe to a pair of women who run a smallholding here in Cumbria. They bought their scythes 7 years ago to manage the grass in the smallholding, around fruit trees and on wildflower banks. Finally, the prompting of another scythe user had encouraged them to learn to peen their blades.

After I explained the theory and practise of peening a scythe, the first job was to clean the blades and then we set up their peening jigs and I guided them through the process of hammering the blade to reshape the bevel profile. After so much work, the blades certainly needed peening and I was a bit concerned that it would be a long and difficult job but both Kate and Deborah were very capable and quickly picked up the skills.

The peening jig simplifies the process and helps ensure neat straight lines of hammer blows to correctly shape the bevel and avoid problems.
Peening your scythe is an important part of looking after it and will transform the way it cuts through the grass. If you’re also struggling to understand or learn the principles then it’s never too late! Email me stevetomlin8@gmail.com to book your own workshop day and discover the joys of peening. If you can’t get to a workshop, check out my book Learn to Scythe which contains clear, simple instruction on peening and more.